LeVeque Tower
Encyclopedia
The LeVeque Tower is a 47-story Art Deco
-style building in Columbus, Ohio
. Located at 50 West Broad Street
, it was the tallest building in Columbus from 1927 until 1974 when the Rhodes State Office Tower
was completed. The LeVeque Tower is 555 in 6 in (169.32 m) tall, which at the time of its completion made it the tallest building between New York City
and Chicago
and the fifth tallest building in the world. It was meant to be built exactly one half foot taller than the Washington Monument
in Washington D.C.
. It was designed by architect C. Howard Crane
.
Its construction occurred along with a massive revitalization of the riverfront area in downtown Columbus after much of the area had severe problems with flooding. In addition to the tower, a new city hall, the 14-story Ohio Courts Building, and the widening of the Scioto River
were all undertaken during the same period. The tower was originally only going to be around 480 feet (146.3 m) tall, but for promotional purposes the leaders of the AIU decided to have the architect augment the original design so the tower would be 555 in 6 in (169.32 m) tall, or 1 foot (0.3048 m) taller than the Washington Monument. This aspect of the building was often played up in marketing campaigns. Today, using better measuring devices, it is now known the Washington Monument is 555 feet (169.164 m) tall, making the tower only 7/8 in taller than the Washington Monument.
The Tower is a steel frame building covered in glazed architectural terra-cotta
tiles with an oak-bark texture. The building is extremely stable because the foundation goes all the way down to bedrock
. C. Howard Crane devised a system derived from the method used to build the foundations for the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge
. Caissons
were sunk into the ground and workers dug out the dirt from inside their pressurized walls. This method was necessary due to the tower's proximity to the Scioto River which meant ground water was only a few yards below the surface. This method was, however, very costly. Both from the standpoint that the equipment and power needed to run it (air compressors, decompressors) but also because working in a pressurized environment is very taxing on the workers. It was also time-consuming to get workers ready to work and they also had to go through a process of depressurization to prevent decompression sickness
. All said, some workers would only spend 30 minutes actually digging before heading back up to the surface. The foundation resulted in the longest leg of the building process.
Five people lost their lives during the construction of the tower. One fell from the steel framing. Four others died during the construction of the foundation when a pocket of noxious gas was opened during digging. The gas overwhelmed the workers and they fell into the hole of the foundation.
Originally, the building's exterior featured a large number of sculptures. However, for legal and safety reasons much of it had to be removed because the terra-cotta began to crumble and fall to the street. Lost sculptures include four 18 feet (5.5 m) eagles at the corners of the building at the 36th floor and four 20 feet (6.1 m) statues of colossus and youth on the sides of the building at the setback of the 40th floor (these were actually removed so Mr. LeVeque could have a view from his office). The spaces left by the departed sculpture serve as the bases for lights used to illuminate the tower.
Originally the two wings of the building were used as a 600-room addition for the Deshler-Wallick Hotel, the city's leading hotel at the time and one of the world’s largest. The hotel's large mirrored ballroom was also contained in the LeVeque Tower. Part of this space now serves as passage from an adjacent parking garage into the lobby of the tower. The hotel space in the tower was converted into offices and the Deshler Hotel, later operated by Hilton Hotels, was demolished in 1970.
Due to the Great Depression
and the subsequent high cost of the tower, the American Insurance Union went bankrupt, and sold the building in order to pay off unpaid policies. The tower was purchased by John Lincoln and Leslie L. LeVeque in 1945 for a fraction of the amount it cost to erect and also a fraction of what was owed to policy holders, subsequently those holding policies never received the full amount they were owed. (LeVeque was the designer of an automatic pinsetter
which became known as the Columbus pinsetter. LeVeque died in a plane crash in 1946. The patent for his pinsetter was later purchased by AMF.)
An observation deck was operated through the 1960s where visitors could travel to the top of the tower for a small fee. The deck was closed with the addition of antennas to the top of the tower and the space was converted into a luxury penthouse apartment.
The Lincoln-LeVeque Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1975. In 1977, the name was officially changed to the LeVeque Tower. The building changed hands to Lennar Properties in 2004, and then again to the new owners Finsilver/Friedman Management, a Michigan based regional developer and property manager.
Throughout its history the building has been noted for the bright and elaborate lighting of its tower. The original design placed the signal lights on the four turrets of the tower. Since the 1980s the tower has had the capability of being lit in a variety of colors. It is normally lit in white, but color is added frequently for special occasions. During the month of February, the tower is lit red in support of Go Red For Women, the American Heart Association
's national movement raising awareness for heart disease. In late April and early May, the tower is pink for The Columbus Race for the Cure. During the Christmas
season, the tower is red and green, while it is simply green for St. Patrick’s Day. It was lit red, white, and blue for an extended period of time following September 11, 2001. For the first time in September 2008 the tower was lit in teal for Ovarian Cancer
Awareness.
LeVeque Tower complex continues to be home to a variety of businesses and offices, including, at its base, the Palace Theatre
.
The LeVeque Tower is a 47-story Art Deco
-style building in Columbus, Ohio
. Located at 50 West Broad Street
, it was the tallest building in Columbus from 1927 until 1974 when the Rhodes State Office Tower
was completed. The LeVeque Tower is 555 in 6 in (169.32 m) tall, which at the time of its completion made it the tallest building between New York City
and Chicago
and the fifth tallest building in the world. It was meant to be built exactly one half foot taller than the Washington Monument
in Washington D.C.
. It was designed by architect C. Howard Crane
.
Its construction occurred along with a massive revitalization of the riverfront area in downtown Columbus after much of the area had severe problems with flooding. In addition to the tower, a new city hall, the 14-story Ohio Courts Building, and the widening of the Scioto River
were all undertaken during the same period. The tower was originally only going to be around 480 feet (146.3 m) tall, but for promotional purposes the leaders of the AIU decided to have the architect augment the original design so the tower would be 555 in 6 in (169.32 m) tall, or 1 foot (0.3048 m) taller than the Washington Monument. This aspect of the building was often played up in marketing campaigns. Today, using better measuring devices, it is now known the Washington Monument is 555 feet (169.164 m) tall, making the tower only 7/8 in taller than the Washington Monument.
The Tower is a steel frame building covered in glazed architectural terra-cotta
tiles with an oak-bark texture. The building is extremely stable because the foundation goes all the way down to bedrock
. C. Howard Crane devised a system derived from the method used to build the foundations for the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge
. Caissons
were sunk into the ground and workers dug out the dirt from inside their pressurized walls. This method was necessary due to the tower's proximity to the Scioto River which meant ground water was only a few yards below the surface. This method was, however, very costly. Both from the standpoint that the equipment and power needed to run it (air compressors, decompressors) but also because working in a pressurized environment is very taxing on the workers. It was also time-consuming to get workers ready to work and they also had to go through a process of depressurization to prevent decompression sickness
. All said, some workers would only spend 30 minutes actually digging before heading back up to the surface. The foundation resulted in the longest leg of the building process.
Five people lost their lives during the construction of the tower. One fell from the steel framing. Four others died during the construction of the foundation when a pocket of noxious gas was opened during digging. The gas overwhelmed the workers and they fell into the hole of the foundation.
Originally, the building's exterior featured a large number of sculptures. However, for legal and safety reasons much of it had to be removed because the terra-cotta began to crumble and fall to the street. Lost sculptures include four 18 feet (5.5 m) eagles at the corners of the building at the 36th floor and four 20 feet (6.1 m) statues of colossus and youth on the sides of the building at the setback of the 40th floor (these were actually removed so Mr. LeVeque could have a view from his office). The spaces left by the departed sculpture serve as the bases for lights used to illuminate the tower.
Originally the two wings of the building were used as a 600-room addition for the Deshler-Wallick Hotel, the city's leading hotel at the time and one of the world’s largest. The hotel's large mirrored ballroom was also contained in the LeVeque Tower. Part of this space now serves as passage from an adjacent parking garage into the lobby of the tower. The hotel space in the tower was converted into offices and the Deshler Hotel, later operated by Hilton Hotels, was demolished in 1970.
Due to the Great Depression
and the subsequent high cost of the tower, the American Insurance Union went bankrupt, and sold the building in order to pay off unpaid policies. The tower was purchased by John Lincoln and Leslie L. LeVeque in 1945 for a fraction of the amount it cost to erect and also a fraction of what was owed to policy holders, subsequently those holding policies never received the full amount they were owed. (LeVeque was the designer of an automatic pinsetter
which became known as the Columbus pinsetter. LeVeque died in a plane crash in 1946. The patent for his pinsetter was later purchased by AMF.)
An observation deck was operated through the 1960s where visitors could travel to the top of the tower for a small fee. The deck was closed with the addition of antennas to the top of the tower and the space was converted into a luxury penthouse apartment.
The Lincoln-LeVeque Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1975. In 1977, the name was officially changed to the LeVeque Tower. The building changed hands to Lennar Properties in 2004, and then again to the new owners Finsilver/Friedman Management, a Michigan based regional developer and property manager.
Throughout its history the building has been noted for the bright and elaborate lighting of its tower. The original design placed the signal lights on the four turrets of the tower. Since the 1980s the tower has had the capability of being lit in a variety of colors. It is normally lit in white, but color is added frequently for special occasions. During the month of February, the tower is lit red in support of Go Red For Women, the American Heart Association
's national movement raising awareness for heart disease. In late April and early May, the tower is pink for The Columbus Race for the Cure. During the Christmas
season, the tower is red and green, while it is simply green for St. Patrick’s Day. It was lit red, white, and blue for an extended period of time following September 11, 2001. For the first time in September 2008 the tower was lit in teal for Ovarian Cancer
Awareness.
LeVeque Tower complex continues to be home to a variety of businesses and offices, including, at its base, the Palace Theatre
.
The LeVeque Tower is a 47-story Art Deco
-style building in Columbus, Ohio
. Located at 50 West Broad Street
, it was the tallest building in Columbus from 1927 until 1974 when the Rhodes State Office Tower
was completed. The LeVeque Tower is 555 in 6 in (169.32 m) tall, which at the time of its completion made it the tallest building between New York City
and Chicago
and the fifth tallest building in the world. It was meant to be built exactly one half foot taller than the Washington Monument
in Washington D.C.
. It was designed by architect C. Howard Crane
.
Its construction occurred along with a massive revitalization of the riverfront area in downtown Columbus after much of the area had severe problems with flooding. In addition to the tower, a new city hall, the 14-story Ohio Courts Building, and the widening of the Scioto River
were all undertaken during the same period. The tower was originally only going to be around 480 feet (146.3 m) tall, but for promotional purposes the leaders of the AIU decided to have the architect augment the original design so the tower would be 555 in 6 in (169.32 m) tall, or 1 foot (0.3048 m) taller than the Washington Monument. This aspect of the building was often played up in marketing campaigns. Today, using better measuring devices, it is now known the Washington Monument is 555 feet (169.164 m) tall, making the tower only 7/8 in taller than the Washington Monument.
The Tower is a steel frame building covered in glazed architectural terra-cotta
tiles with an oak-bark texture. The building is extremely stable because the foundation goes all the way down to bedrock
. C. Howard Crane devised a system derived from the method used to build the foundations for the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge
. Caissons
were sunk into the ground and workers dug out the dirt from inside their pressurized walls. This method was necessary due to the tower's proximity to the Scioto River which meant ground water was only a few yards below the surface. This method was, however, very costly. Both from the standpoint that the equipment and power needed to run it (air compressors, decompressors) but also because working in a pressurized environment is very taxing on the workers. It was also time-consuming to get workers ready to work and they also had to go through a process of depressurization to prevent decompression sickness
. All said, some workers would only spend 30 minutes actually digging before heading back up to the surface. The foundation resulted in the longest leg of the building process.
Five people lost their lives during the construction of the tower. One fell from the steel framing. Four others died during the construction of the foundation when a pocket of noxious gas was opened during digging. The gas overwhelmed the workers and they fell into the hole of the foundation.
Originally, the building's exterior featured a large number of sculptures. However, for legal and safety reasons much of it had to be removed because the terra-cotta began to crumble and fall to the street. Lost sculptures include four 18 feet (5.5 m) eagles at the corners of the building at the 36th floor and four 20 feet (6.1 m) statues of colossus and youth on the sides of the building at the setback of the 40th floor (these were actually removed so Mr. LeVeque could have a view from his office). The spaces left by the departed sculpture serve as the bases for lights used to illuminate the tower.
Originally the two wings of the building were used as a 600-room addition for the Deshler-Wallick Hotel, the city's leading hotel at the time and one of the world’s largest. The hotel's large mirrored ballroom was also contained in the LeVeque Tower. Part of this space now serves as passage from an adjacent parking garage into the lobby of the tower. The hotel space in the tower was converted into offices and the Deshler Hotel, later operated by Hilton Hotels, was demolished in 1970.
Due to the Great Depression
and the subsequent high cost of the tower, the American Insurance Union went bankrupt, and sold the building in order to pay off unpaid policies. The tower was purchased by John Lincoln and Leslie L. LeVeque in 1945 for a fraction of the amount it cost to erect and also a fraction of what was owed to policy holders, subsequently those holding policies never received the full amount they were owed. (LeVeque was the designer of an automatic pinsetter
which became known as the Columbus pinsetter. LeVeque died in a plane crash in 1946. The patent for his pinsetter was later purchased by AMF.)
An observation deck was operated through the 1960s where visitors could travel to the top of the tower for a small fee. The deck was closed with the addition of antennas to the top of the tower and the space was converted into a luxury penthouse apartment.
The Lincoln-LeVeque Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1975. In 1977, the name was officially changed to the LeVeque Tower. The building changed hands to Lennar Properties in 2004, and then again to the new owners Finsilver/Friedman Management, a Michigan based regional developer and property manager.
Throughout its history the building has been noted for the bright and elaborate lighting of its tower. The original design placed the signal lights on the four turrets of the tower. Since the 1980s the tower has had the capability of being lit in a variety of colors. It is normally lit in white, but color is added frequently for special occasions. During the month of February, the tower is lit red in support of Go Red For Women, the American Heart Association
's national movement raising awareness for heart disease. In late April and early May, the tower is pink for The Columbus Race for the Cure. During the Christmas
season, the tower is red and green, while it is simply green for St. Patrick’s Day. It was lit red, white, and blue for an extended period of time following September 11, 2001. For the first time in September 2008 the tower was lit in teal for Ovarian Cancer
Awareness.
LeVeque Tower complex continues to be home to a variety of businesses and offices, including, at its base, the Palace Theatre
.
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
-style building in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. Located at 50 West Broad Street
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
, it was the tallest building in Columbus from 1927 until 1974 when the Rhodes State Office Tower
Rhodes State Office Tower
The James A. Rhodes State Office Tower is a skyscraper located in Columbus, Ohio. The Rhodes Tower was completed and occupied in 1974, and is currently the tallest building in Columbus and the fifth tallest in Ohio...
was completed. The LeVeque Tower is 555 in 6 in (169.32 m) tall, which at the time of its completion made it the tallest building between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and the fifth tallest building in the world. It was meant to be built exactly one half foot taller than the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
in Washington D.C.
Construction
LeVeque Tower was commissioned by the American Insurance Union and originally called the American Insurance Union Citadel (AIU Citadel for short). The term "citadel" was chosen for its strong and enduring connotations, which the AIU wanted to convey to the public. Its creation was widely spearheaded by the leader of the AIU, local magnate John J. LentzJohn J. Lentz
John Jacob Lentz was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.Born near St. Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio, Lentz attended the common schools and the St...
. It was designed by architect C. Howard Crane
C. Howard Crane
Charles Howard Crane was an American architect.Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Crane established a practice in Detroit, Michigan early in the 20th Century. Like Thomas W. Lamb and John Eberson, Crane specialized in the design of movie palaces in North American...
.
Its construction occurred along with a massive revitalization of the riverfront area in downtown Columbus after much of the area had severe problems with flooding. In addition to the tower, a new city hall, the 14-story Ohio Courts Building, and the widening of the Scioto River
Scioto River
The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles in length. It rises in Auglaize County in west central Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth...
were all undertaken during the same period. The tower was originally only going to be around 480 feet (146.3 m) tall, but for promotional purposes the leaders of the AIU decided to have the architect augment the original design so the tower would be 555 in 6 in (169.32 m) tall, or 1 foot (0.3048 m) taller than the Washington Monument. This aspect of the building was often played up in marketing campaigns. Today, using better measuring devices, it is now known the Washington Monument is 555 feet (169.164 m) tall, making the tower only 7/8 in taller than the Washington Monument.
The Tower is a steel frame building covered in glazed architectural terra-cotta
Glazed architectural terra-cotta
Glazed architectural terra-cotta is a ceramic masonry building material popular in the United States from the late 19th century until the 1930s, and still one of the most common building materials found in U.S. urban environments...
tiles with an oak-bark texture. The building is extremely stable because the foundation goes all the way down to bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
. C. Howard Crane devised a system derived from the method used to build the foundations for the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
. Caissons
Caisson (engineering)
In geotechnical engineering, a caisson is a retaining, watertight structure used, for example, to work on the foundations of a bridge pier, for the construction of a concrete dam, or for the repair of ships. These are constructed such that the water can be pumped out, keeping the working...
were sunk into the ground and workers dug out the dirt from inside their pressurized walls. This method was necessary due to the tower's proximity to the Scioto River which meant ground water was only a few yards below the surface. This method was, however, very costly. Both from the standpoint that the equipment and power needed to run it (air compressors, decompressors) but also because working in a pressurized environment is very taxing on the workers. It was also time-consuming to get workers ready to work and they also had to go through a process of depressurization to prevent decompression sickness
Decompression sickness
Decompression sickness describes a condition arising from dissolved gases coming out of solution into bubbles inside the body on depressurization...
. All said, some workers would only spend 30 minutes actually digging before heading back up to the surface. The foundation resulted in the longest leg of the building process.
Five people lost their lives during the construction of the tower. One fell from the steel framing. Four others died during the construction of the foundation when a pocket of noxious gas was opened during digging. The gas overwhelmed the workers and they fell into the hole of the foundation.
Originally, the building's exterior featured a large number of sculptures. However, for legal and safety reasons much of it had to be removed because the terra-cotta began to crumble and fall to the street. Lost sculptures include four 18 feet (5.5 m) eagles at the corners of the building at the 36th floor and four 20 feet (6.1 m) statues of colossus and youth on the sides of the building at the setback of the 40th floor (these were actually removed so Mr. LeVeque could have a view from his office). The spaces left by the departed sculpture serve as the bases for lights used to illuminate the tower.
Changing function and ownership
Due to the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and the subsequent high cost of the tower, the American Insurance Union went bankrupt, and sold the building in order to pay off unpaid policies. The tower was purchased by John Lincoln and Leslie L. LeVeque in 1945 for a fraction of the amount it cost to erect and also a fraction of what was owed to policy holders, subsequently those holding policies never received the full amount they were owed. (LeVeque was the designer of an automatic pinsetter
Pinsetter
In bowling, a pinsetter, or pinspotter, was originally a person who manually reset bowling pins to their correct position, cleared fallen pins, and returned bowling balls to players...
which became known as the Columbus pinsetter. LeVeque died in a plane crash in 1946. The patent for his pinsetter was later purchased by AMF.)
An observation deck was operated through the 1960s where visitors could travel to the top of the tower for a small fee. The deck was closed with the addition of antennas to the top of the tower and the space was converted into a luxury penthouse apartment.
The Lincoln-LeVeque Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1975. In 1977, the name was officially changed to the LeVeque Tower. The building changed hands to Lennar Properties in 2004, and then again to the new owners Finsilver/Friedman Management, a Michigan based regional developer and property manager.
Throughout its history the building has been noted for the bright and elaborate lighting of its tower. The original design placed the signal lights on the four turrets of the tower. Since the 1980s the tower has had the capability of being lit in a variety of colors. It is normally lit in white, but color is added frequently for special occasions. During the month of February, the tower is lit red in support of Go Red For Women, the American Heart Association
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...
's national movement raising awareness for heart disease. In late April and early May, the tower is pink for The Columbus Race for the Cure. During the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
season, the tower is red and green, while it is simply green for St. Patrick’s Day. It was lit red, white, and blue for an extended period of time following September 11, 2001. For the first time in September 2008 the tower was lit in teal for Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....
Awareness.
LeVeque Tower complex continues to be home to a variety of businesses and offices, including, at its base, the Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre (Columbus, Ohio)
The Palace Theatre is a 2,827-seat restored movie palace located at 34 W. Broad Street in Columbus Ohio. It was designed by Thomas W. Lamb and was built in 1926 as a part of the American Insurance Union Citadel complex. Today the theater functions as a multi-use performing arts venue...
.
Further reading
- Perkins, Michael (2004). ’‘LeVeque: The First Complete Story of Columbus’ Greatest Skyscraper’’. Bloomington: Authorhouse. ISBN 1-4208-0294-1.
External links
- CAPA venues–Palace Theatre history
- Columbus ’‘Business First’’: “Papers clarify LeVeque Tower owner change”
The LeVeque Tower is a 47-story Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
-style building in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. Located at 50 West Broad Street
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
, it was the tallest building in Columbus from 1927 until 1974 when the Rhodes State Office Tower
Rhodes State Office Tower
The James A. Rhodes State Office Tower is a skyscraper located in Columbus, Ohio. The Rhodes Tower was completed and occupied in 1974, and is currently the tallest building in Columbus and the fifth tallest in Ohio...
was completed. The LeVeque Tower is 555 in 6 in (169.32 m) tall, which at the time of its completion made it the tallest building between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and the fifth tallest building in the world. It was meant to be built exactly one half foot taller than the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
in Washington D.C.
Construction
LeVeque Tower was commissioned by the American Insurance Union and originally called the American Insurance Union Citadel (AIU Citadel for short). The term "citadel" was chosen for its strong and enduring connotations, which the AIU wanted to convey to the public. Its creation was widely spearheaded by the leader of the AIU, local magnate John J. LentzJohn J. Lentz
John Jacob Lentz was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.Born near St. Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio, Lentz attended the common schools and the St...
. It was designed by architect C. Howard Crane
C. Howard Crane
Charles Howard Crane was an American architect.Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Crane established a practice in Detroit, Michigan early in the 20th Century. Like Thomas W. Lamb and John Eberson, Crane specialized in the design of movie palaces in North American...
.
Its construction occurred along with a massive revitalization of the riverfront area in downtown Columbus after much of the area had severe problems with flooding. In addition to the tower, a new city hall, the 14-story Ohio Courts Building, and the widening of the Scioto River
Scioto River
The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles in length. It rises in Auglaize County in west central Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth...
were all undertaken during the same period. The tower was originally only going to be around 480 feet (146.3 m) tall, but for promotional purposes the leaders of the AIU decided to have the architect augment the original design so the tower would be 555 in 6 in (169.32 m) tall, or 1 foot (0.3048 m) taller than the Washington Monument. This aspect of the building was often played up in marketing campaigns. Today, using better measuring devices, it is now known the Washington Monument is 555 feet (169.164 m) tall, making the tower only 7/8 in taller than the Washington Monument.
The Tower is a steel frame building covered in glazed architectural terra-cotta
Glazed architectural terra-cotta
Glazed architectural terra-cotta is a ceramic masonry building material popular in the United States from the late 19th century until the 1930s, and still one of the most common building materials found in U.S. urban environments...
tiles with an oak-bark texture. The building is extremely stable because the foundation goes all the way down to bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
. C. Howard Crane devised a system derived from the method used to build the foundations for the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
. Caissons
Caisson (engineering)
In geotechnical engineering, a caisson is a retaining, watertight structure used, for example, to work on the foundations of a bridge pier, for the construction of a concrete dam, or for the repair of ships. These are constructed such that the water can be pumped out, keeping the working...
were sunk into the ground and workers dug out the dirt from inside their pressurized walls. This method was necessary due to the tower's proximity to the Scioto River which meant ground water was only a few yards below the surface. This method was, however, very costly. Both from the standpoint that the equipment and power needed to run it (air compressors, decompressors) but also because working in a pressurized environment is very taxing on the workers. It was also time-consuming to get workers ready to work and they also had to go through a process of depressurization to prevent decompression sickness
Decompression sickness
Decompression sickness describes a condition arising from dissolved gases coming out of solution into bubbles inside the body on depressurization...
. All said, some workers would only spend 30 minutes actually digging before heading back up to the surface. The foundation resulted in the longest leg of the building process.
Five people lost their lives during the construction of the tower. One fell from the steel framing. Four others died during the construction of the foundation when a pocket of noxious gas was opened during digging. The gas overwhelmed the workers and they fell into the hole of the foundation.
Originally, the building's exterior featured a large number of sculptures. However, for legal and safety reasons much of it had to be removed because the terra-cotta began to crumble and fall to the street. Lost sculptures include four 18 feet (5.5 m) eagles at the corners of the building at the 36th floor and four 20 feet (6.1 m) statues of colossus and youth on the sides of the building at the setback of the 40th floor (these were actually removed so Mr. LeVeque could have a view from his office). The spaces left by the departed sculpture serve as the bases for lights used to illuminate the tower.
Changing function and ownership
Due to the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and the subsequent high cost of the tower, the American Insurance Union went bankrupt, and sold the building in order to pay off unpaid policies. The tower was purchased by John Lincoln and Leslie L. LeVeque in 1945 for a fraction of the amount it cost to erect and also a fraction of what was owed to policy holders, subsequently those holding policies never received the full amount they were owed. (LeVeque was the designer of an automatic pinsetter
Pinsetter
In bowling, a pinsetter, or pinspotter, was originally a person who manually reset bowling pins to their correct position, cleared fallen pins, and returned bowling balls to players...
which became known as the Columbus pinsetter. LeVeque died in a plane crash in 1946. The patent for his pinsetter was later purchased by AMF.)
An observation deck was operated through the 1960s where visitors could travel to the top of the tower for a small fee. The deck was closed with the addition of antennas to the top of the tower and the space was converted into a luxury penthouse apartment.
The Lincoln-LeVeque Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1975. In 1977, the name was officially changed to the LeVeque Tower. The building changed hands to Lennar Properties in 2004, and then again to the new owners Finsilver/Friedman Management, a Michigan based regional developer and property manager.
Throughout its history the building has been noted for the bright and elaborate lighting of its tower. The original design placed the signal lights on the four turrets of the tower. Since the 1980s the tower has had the capability of being lit in a variety of colors. It is normally lit in white, but color is added frequently for special occasions. During the month of February, the tower is lit red in support of Go Red For Women, the American Heart Association
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...
's national movement raising awareness for heart disease. In late April and early May, the tower is pink for The Columbus Race for the Cure. During the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
season, the tower is red and green, while it is simply green for St. Patrick’s Day. It was lit red, white, and blue for an extended period of time following September 11, 2001. For the first time in September 2008 the tower was lit in teal for Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....
Awareness.
LeVeque Tower complex continues to be home to a variety of businesses and offices, including, at its base, the Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre (Columbus, Ohio)
The Palace Theatre is a 2,827-seat restored movie palace located at 34 W. Broad Street in Columbus Ohio. It was designed by Thomas W. Lamb and was built in 1926 as a part of the American Insurance Union Citadel complex. Today the theater functions as a multi-use performing arts venue...
.
Further reading
- Perkins, Michael (2004). ’‘LeVeque: The First Complete Story of Columbus’ Greatest Skyscraper’’. Bloomington: Authorhouse. ISBN 1-4208-0294-1.
External links
- CAPA venues–Palace Theatre history
- Columbus ’‘Business First’’: “Papers clarify LeVeque Tower owner change”
The LeVeque Tower is a 47-story Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
-style building in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. Located at 50 West Broad Street
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
, it was the tallest building in Columbus from 1927 until 1974 when the Rhodes State Office Tower
Rhodes State Office Tower
The James A. Rhodes State Office Tower is a skyscraper located in Columbus, Ohio. The Rhodes Tower was completed and occupied in 1974, and is currently the tallest building in Columbus and the fifth tallest in Ohio...
was completed. The LeVeque Tower is 555 in 6 in (169.32 m) tall, which at the time of its completion made it the tallest building between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and the fifth tallest building in the world. It was meant to be built exactly one half foot taller than the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
in Washington D.C.
Construction
LeVeque Tower was commissioned by the American Insurance Union and originally called the American Insurance Union Citadel (AIU Citadel for short). The term "citadel" was chosen for its strong and enduring connotations, which the AIU wanted to convey to the public. Its creation was widely spearheaded by the leader of the AIU, local magnate John J. LentzJohn J. Lentz
John Jacob Lentz was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.Born near St. Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio, Lentz attended the common schools and the St...
. It was designed by architect C. Howard Crane
C. Howard Crane
Charles Howard Crane was an American architect.Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Crane established a practice in Detroit, Michigan early in the 20th Century. Like Thomas W. Lamb and John Eberson, Crane specialized in the design of movie palaces in North American...
.
Its construction occurred along with a massive revitalization of the riverfront area in downtown Columbus after much of the area had severe problems with flooding. In addition to the tower, a new city hall, the 14-story Ohio Courts Building, and the widening of the Scioto River
Scioto River
The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles in length. It rises in Auglaize County in west central Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth...
were all undertaken during the same period. The tower was originally only going to be around 480 feet (146.3 m) tall, but for promotional purposes the leaders of the AIU decided to have the architect augment the original design so the tower would be 555 in 6 in (169.32 m) tall, or 1 foot (0.3048 m) taller than the Washington Monument. This aspect of the building was often played up in marketing campaigns. Today, using better measuring devices, it is now known the Washington Monument is 555 feet (169.164 m) tall, making the tower only 7/8 in taller than the Washington Monument.
The Tower is a steel frame building covered in glazed architectural terra-cotta
Glazed architectural terra-cotta
Glazed architectural terra-cotta is a ceramic masonry building material popular in the United States from the late 19th century until the 1930s, and still one of the most common building materials found in U.S. urban environments...
tiles with an oak-bark texture. The building is extremely stable because the foundation goes all the way down to bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
. C. Howard Crane devised a system derived from the method used to build the foundations for the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
. Caissons
Caisson (engineering)
In geotechnical engineering, a caisson is a retaining, watertight structure used, for example, to work on the foundations of a bridge pier, for the construction of a concrete dam, or for the repair of ships. These are constructed such that the water can be pumped out, keeping the working...
were sunk into the ground and workers dug out the dirt from inside their pressurized walls. This method was necessary due to the tower's proximity to the Scioto River which meant ground water was only a few yards below the surface. This method was, however, very costly. Both from the standpoint that the equipment and power needed to run it (air compressors, decompressors) but also because working in a pressurized environment is very taxing on the workers. It was also time-consuming to get workers ready to work and they also had to go through a process of depressurization to prevent decompression sickness
Decompression sickness
Decompression sickness describes a condition arising from dissolved gases coming out of solution into bubbles inside the body on depressurization...
. All said, some workers would only spend 30 minutes actually digging before heading back up to the surface. The foundation resulted in the longest leg of the building process.
Five people lost their lives during the construction of the tower. One fell from the steel framing. Four others died during the construction of the foundation when a pocket of noxious gas was opened during digging. The gas overwhelmed the workers and they fell into the hole of the foundation.
Originally, the building's exterior featured a large number of sculptures. However, for legal and safety reasons much of it had to be removed because the terra-cotta began to crumble and fall to the street. Lost sculptures include four 18 feet (5.5 m) eagles at the corners of the building at the 36th floor and four 20 feet (6.1 m) statues of colossus and youth on the sides of the building at the setback of the 40th floor (these were actually removed so Mr. LeVeque could have a view from his office). The spaces left by the departed sculpture serve as the bases for lights used to illuminate the tower.
Changing function and ownership
Due to the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and the subsequent high cost of the tower, the American Insurance Union went bankrupt, and sold the building in order to pay off unpaid policies. The tower was purchased by John Lincoln and Leslie L. LeVeque in 1945 for a fraction of the amount it cost to erect and also a fraction of what was owed to policy holders, subsequently those holding policies never received the full amount they were owed. (LeVeque was the designer of an automatic pinsetter
Pinsetter
In bowling, a pinsetter, or pinspotter, was originally a person who manually reset bowling pins to their correct position, cleared fallen pins, and returned bowling balls to players...
which became known as the Columbus pinsetter. LeVeque died in a plane crash in 1946. The patent for his pinsetter was later purchased by AMF.)
An observation deck was operated through the 1960s where visitors could travel to the top of the tower for a small fee. The deck was closed with the addition of antennas to the top of the tower and the space was converted into a luxury penthouse apartment.
The Lincoln-LeVeque Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1975. In 1977, the name was officially changed to the LeVeque Tower. The building changed hands to Lennar Properties in 2004, and then again to the new owners Finsilver/Friedman Management, a Michigan based regional developer and property manager.
Throughout its history the building has been noted for the bright and elaborate lighting of its tower. The original design placed the signal lights on the four turrets of the tower. Since the 1980s the tower has had the capability of being lit in a variety of colors. It is normally lit in white, but color is added frequently for special occasions. During the month of February, the tower is lit red in support of Go Red For Women, the American Heart Association
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...
's national movement raising awareness for heart disease. In late April and early May, the tower is pink for The Columbus Race for the Cure. During the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
season, the tower is red and green, while it is simply green for St. Patrick’s Day. It was lit red, white, and blue for an extended period of time following September 11, 2001. For the first time in September 2008 the tower was lit in teal for Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....
Awareness.
LeVeque Tower complex continues to be home to a variety of businesses and offices, including, at its base, the Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre (Columbus, Ohio)
The Palace Theatre is a 2,827-seat restored movie palace located at 34 W. Broad Street in Columbus Ohio. It was designed by Thomas W. Lamb and was built in 1926 as a part of the American Insurance Union Citadel complex. Today the theater functions as a multi-use performing arts venue...
.
Further reading
- Perkins, Michael (2004). ’‘LeVeque: The First Complete Story of Columbus’ Greatest Skyscraper’’. Bloomington: Authorhouse. ISBN 1-4208-0294-1.